Guide-lubricator



(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. .W. HEERMANS.

GUIDE LUBRIOATOR.

' No. 467,168. Patented Jan. 19, 1892.

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(No Model.)

T. W. HEERMANS. GUIDE LUVBRIGATOR.

Patented Jan. 19, 1892.

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Patented Jan; 19, 1892-.

T. W.. HEERMANS. GUIDE LUBRICATOR U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

THADDEUS IV. IIEERMANS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GUIDE-LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,168, dated January19,1892. Application filed November 28, 1890. Serial No. 372,788. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THADDEUS W. HEER- MANs,a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guide-Lubricators,of which the following is a specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference-lettersindicate like parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a rearelevation and partial section; Fig. 3, a top plan; Fig. 4, a partialvertical section in line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a horizontal section inline 5 5 of Fig. 4:; Fig. 6, a rear elevation of one of thecup-segments; Fig. 7, a rear elevation of the other cup-segment; Fig. 8,a plan of the cup-holder; Fig. 9, a front elevation of the cup; Fig. 10,a vertical section in line 10 of Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 a front elevationshowing the two parts of the cup-separators.

- structures-a stationary lubricator is not cffective for the purpose,and a traveling lubricator must be and commonly is used, mounted uponand traveling with the reciprocating part and adapted to convey andapply the lubricant directly to the entire surface to be lubricated.Where the guide is in the form of a bar or rib projecting from a flatsurface and fitting into a corresponding groove in the reciprocatingpart, so that three faces of the bar are exposed and liable to friction,the lubricating device must of course be adapted to apply the lubricantto the three exposed faces, and hence must itself be grooved to fit theguide-bar and convey the lubricant properly to the entire surfaces tobeoiled or greased, and accordingly this is the common form employed inmarine engines, where a vertical guide-bar and a bifurcated grease cupor slipper, as it is sometimes termed, fitting the three exposedsurfaces of the bar, are relied upon. to do the work. My invention is animprovement upon this old form of guidelubricator.

The main invention of my improvement consists, essentially, inconstructing the cup or slipper in several parts, instead of in oneintegral structure, as heretofore, making these parts severallyadjustable to the surface of the guide-bar independently of each other,and providing means for automatically adjusting and holding each of themagainst the surface of the guide with a yielding force, whereby at alltimes the cup will'closely hug the three exposed surfaces of theguide-bar without danger of binding or sticking in case the lattershould be out of true or not uniform in its dimensions.

Furtherimprovements consist in the means for supporting and applying thecup and in the several mechanical combinations involved in thestructure, as will be more particularly indicated by the claims heretoappended.

In the drawings, A indicates a vertical guide-bar having its front andlateral faces exposed, and B indicates the reciprocating element,whatever its form or name may be, that is to be guided by said bar. Inheavy structures moving with great force there should be a solid shoe 0,grooved to loosely fit the guide-bar and attached to the moving part Bto guide its movements, and my improved lubricator should be madeseparate from said shoe, because in such cases its yielding walls arenot adapted to resist lateral defiection with sufficient force to enablethem to answer the purpose of guide-shoes. In light structures the shoes0 maybe dispensed with and my improved lubricating-cups substituted, inwhich case they will answer both as lubricators and guide shoes. Theconstruction first referred to is shown in the drawings, and this I willnow describe. The grease-cup is shown at D. In its simplest formitconsists of two parts D D united to-' gether by a projection 01,formed upon the part D and extending into a suitable recess (6', formedin the back of the part D so that the two parts can be moved laterallyto alimited extent independently of each other without becomingdisconnected and so that the projection of the one working in the recessof the other will hold both in the proper position or relation duringsuch movement. The part D fits the front and one lateral face of theguide-bar. The part D fits the other lateral face of said bar, so thatthe two parts embrace the three exposed faces thereof. Horizontalgrooves d are formed in the inner walls of the two-part cup D,communicating IO through a feed-passage d" with a suitable reservoirEforthe lubricant. Liquid lubricants may of course be used; but I prefersolid grease, and therefore preferably employ a well-known form ofsolid-grease lubricator having a piston and spring to force the feed ofthe grease.

For the purpose of causing the two-part cup D to hug the three exposedsurfaces of the guide-bar simultaneously with a yielding force, and thusrendering its two parts selfadjusting to said surfaces, the simplest andbest means known to me consist in a combination of spring force with camaction, substantially as follows: I provide a suitably- 2 5 mountedpressing device F, having a V- shaped recess f in its end, as shown inFig. 8, and adapted by the action of a spring G, of any suitable form,to press=the cup D against the front face of the guide-bar. On 0 therear side of the part D, I form one or more inclines Ll", and on theback of the part D one or more similar inclines (1 so that the V-shapedfront end of the device F will press against them under the action ofthe spring G, and thus by the cam action of the impinging surfaces movethe two parts D D laterally toward each other with a yielding forceproportionate to the force of the spring G. Thus arranged the force ofthe single spring 0 G presses the cup D against the front face of theguide-bar, and at the same time causes its two sides to hug the lateralfaces of said bar, and the cup will therefore automatically adjustitself to the three exposed faces of the 5 bar and apply the lubricantproperly to all of them, while readily yielding to any inequalities ofsurface or irregularities of alignment. The pressing device F may alsobe employed to support the cup D and move it up and down on theguide-bar. To this end I construct it in the form of a curved orright-angled arm or yoke, as shown, pivoted to the reciprocating elementB at the point marked H, and having the spring G arranged to pressagainst its rear side-for example, in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.Then by causing the V-shaped upper end of the arm or yoke F to fit intoa horizontal groove or gain in the back of the cup D, as shown, or aprojection of cup D to fit into a slot in plate F, it will both supportthe cup and adjust it against the guide-bar.

It is of course obvious without illustration that the curved and pivotedportion of the element F may be dispensed with and the spring Gsubstituted therefor by suitably anchoring the spring to the structureB, extending it upward toward the cup and attaching its upper end to aV-shaped plate adapted to enter the groove in the back of the cup.

It is only for convenience and cheapness of construction that the cup Dis made in two parts instead of three, as it is obvious that a backplate may be employed with two separate side plates each connected tothe back plate in the same way that the plate D: 18 here connected tothe plate D the two s de plates being provided with the respective1nclines d d, and the whole operating substantially as herein described.

The adjustable cup here shown rides easily upon the guide-bar; is veryeconomical of the lubricant; is admirably adapted to the use of solidgrease, which is much superior to any other for this purpose, and isreadily applied and removed. The parts of the cup are held together andheld to the supporting device merely by interlocking contact withoutother mechanical fastenings, and it is therefore only the work of aninstant to effect its attachment or detachment without the use of tools.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosccu re by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gnide-lubricator, a lubricating-cup made in separate segmentsheld together and laterally and automatically adjustable to the sides ofthe guide-bar independently of each other, substantially as described.

2. In a guide-lubricator, a lubricating-cup made in separate segmentsheld together and adj ustably connected by means of projections, of onesegment sliding in corresponding holes or recesses of another segment,whereby the sides of the cup are independently adj ustable to the sidesof the guide-bar and guide each other in their adjusting movement,substantially as described.

In a guide-lubricator, the combination of a lubricating-cup made inseparate segments held together and adjustable to the surfaces of theguide-bar independently of each other, with mechanism for simultaneouslypressing the separate segments with a yielding force against saidsurfaces, substantially as described.

4. In a guide-lubricator, the combination of a lubricating-cup made inseparate segments held together and adj ustable to the surfaces of theguide-bar independently of each other, with a spring-actuated cam-plateto yieldingly hold said segments against said surfaces, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a guidelubricator, the combination of the lubricating-cup, withasupportingspringarm, one of said parts having a projection fitting in arecess or groove in the other, whereby the locking of the parts effectsthe support and movement of the cup, and the spring-pressure of the armprevents accidental unlocking and holds the cup to the tion ofbackandsideseginentsindependently Work, substantially as described.adjustable, having horizontal communicating 6. The combination of thefixed guide-bar grooves on their inner faces connected by a A andmovable element B, with a two-part passage through the back segment to alulubricating-cup, a spring-arm pivotally conbricant-reser'voir mountedon the cup, sub nected direct to the said moving.e1ement B, stantiallyas described.

and constructed to support and press both THADDEUS XV. HEERMANS.

parts of the cup against the guide-bars, sub- Witnesses: stantially asdescribed. V. M. HILL,

7. In a guide-lubricator cup, the combina- L. HILL.

